Germany has always been an afterthought when determining where the best basketball prospects in Europe a produced, as Dirk Nowitzki, Dennis Schröder and even Maik Zirbes and Tibor Pleiß are more so regarded as outliers than the norm. Though the Beko BBL (the German Bundesliga of basketball) wants to turn into the best local championship of Europe by 2020, the German talent has not been regarded as particularly promising over the last few years until the 1998 generation burst on the scene, displaying quite a number of talented young players who have what it takes to make noise the basketball world.
This is a three chapter series outlining the players who are more or less known on the European basketball landscape in part one, while part two will introduce players who have flown under the radar for some reason or another. Part three will outline the next generation of players who are just now bursting on the German basketball scene.
Chapter Two: The Second Wave
Moritz Sanders 6'10 229 ('98, PF, TSV Tröster Breitengüßbach)
Though known in scouting circles, Moritz Sanders -at the pic- has largely been flying under the radar due to the big three of the 1998 generation. However, standing at a legit 6’10 with decent mobility and equipped with a smooth shooting stroke, he is not shy of talent either. While Sanders is not overly long or athletic, he offsets this with his knowledge of good footwork and positioning and with good use of his body. Sanders projects at the stretch four position, displaying a lethal outside game for a player his size.
Usually Sanders plays with his face to the basket, as his back-to-the-basket game is not yet as refined as his face-up game. While he regularly abuses smaller defenders on the block with sheer power, he still needs to progress with his skill set in terms of post moves in order to become more effective around the basket when operating against taller opponents. In addition he seems to almost exclusively finishing with his right hand.
Equipped with a smooth shooting stroke and good mechanics, Sanders knows how to navigate from the perimeter quite well. Though he hasn’t shot a high volume of three point shots in the NBBL he converted at a high rate (52.9%). Interestingly, he struggled shooting from the perimeter at the ANGT in L’Hospitalet and in the German ProA, which shows that against quicker defenders on higher levels of play he allows defenders to bother him and speed him up when shooting jump shots. Given Sanders has a high release, he should not be bothered, as he should be able to get his shot off with ease especially on close out situations.
Often creating for himself out of pick & pop and close out situations, he forces defenses to take him seriously upon receiving the ball on the perimeter due to his shooting ability. Having a good understanding of ball fakes paired with good mobility, allows Sanders to get by his opponent quite often, frequently opting for the pull up jump shot from the midrange area. Sanders is also a very good free throw shooter converting on 84.2% of his free throw attempts.
Early on during the NBBL season Sanders has shown he also possess good floor vision, as he averages 2.8 assists per game with a season high of seven assists. He is a very willing passer, who scans the court before attacking in the post and is ready to give the ball up if a teammate is in better position to score.
Defensively Sanders does most of his work early in efforts to gain favorable position on the offensive player and deny the entry pass into the post. Sanders is not a rim protector who will block or change a lot of shots, but he plays very heady player and knows to anticipate actions. Despite the lack of rim protection he is a good help defender, as he moves to the right spots. Similarly he moves feet in anticipation of the play in one-on-one situations, displaying decent lateral quickness and the ability to stay in front of his opponents. Also Sanders rebounds well carving out space around the basket before grabbing the rebound off of the boards. He uses his body well in order to get good position on his counterpart.
Sanders has produced good numbers in limited minutes due to the fact that Breitengüßbach (the youth team of Bamberg) has been winning their games by large margins, displaying that his efficiency would have garnered a lot more if he were not stuck in this loaded 1998 generation. Sanders is without a doubt one of the premier German talents.
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Lars Lagerpusch 6'9 216 ('98, PF, Braunschweig)
Having produced at a high level, Lars Lagerpusch still manages to continuously progress in his game. Though he is not an overwhelming physical specimen, as he is neither an athlete, nor does he possess great length. Lagerpusch constantly produces due to a strong body, immensely good instincts and an above average knowledge of the game. While playing out of shape much of last season, he has been nothing short of dominant thus far producing gaudy numbers in the NBBL and performing well in limited minutes in the ProB.
Lagerpusch has shown quite the growth as a player, allowing him to make an impact in different aspects of the game. His shooting, for instance, has long been a construction site. However, Lagerpusch’s shooting has shown advancements. While certain parts of his shooting motion still need fine tuning, overall he has shown progress. His free throw shooting percentages have jumped from 55.3% last year to a respectable 77.1% at this point of the season. Though he does not shoot the ball quite that much, his opponents have been defending him more honest when he caught the ball facing the hoop.
This plays into his strengths, as Lagerpusch is quite adept at attacking closeouts with the use of fakes and strong straight line drives. In addition he uses his body to muscle his way to the basket very well, as he doesn’t relent almost willing his way to the rim. When getting to the paint he impresses as an effective finisher, displaying great touch around the rim. Not shy of contact Lagerpusch seems to have improved operating in the post as well. Though not really showcasing a go to move, he seems to be able to get to the spots he wants.
Interestingly Lagerpusch is able to impact the game the ball as much without the ball in the hands as he does with it. He knows when to pick his spots and let the flow of the game come to him, and when to be assertive and take over the game. While he is by far the best player of his homegrown team in Braunschweig in the NBBL, he is the young rookie on the Wolfenbüttel in the ProB. He seamlessly plays different roles on each team, showing great efficiency in both roles.
Knowing how to use his strength and positioning is critical for Lagerpusch as a post defender and a help defender because he will often give up length to his opponents. Knowing this, he does not seem to struggle against taller players, due to his understanding of positioning, as well as giving maximum on every play. His high baskeball IQ shows, as he understands where to be at what time, having great anticipation defensively. Lagerpusch is a good help defender, but can be to ball oriented at times, forgetting about his own man. On the defensive end, Lagerpusch is also a very good rebounder. He displays great boxing out techniques, and often just wants the ball more than his opponents, giving maximum effort in pursuit of the ball. His willingness to throw his body around in combination with great anticipation, allows him to average an amazing 13.0 rebounds per game in the NBBL.
Lagerpusch shows that he can make quite the progress in his development. Interestingly most of his growth is directly tied to his high basketball IQ, as he understands what he needs to develop and how he needs to approach given situations. Averaging 26.3 points per game in the NBBL Lagerpusch displays go-to scorer qualities. However, he needs continue to develop his jump shot to make it a weapon, as well as ballhandling in order to be able to create offense for himself and others. Though he doesn't possess length, he continuously negates that by an elite level basketball IQ, strength and physicality, as well as giving maximum effort on every possession.
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Arnoldas Kulboka 6'8 218 ('98, SF, TSV Tröster Breitengüßbach)
One of the more interesting prospects on the German basketball scene is Lithuanian Arnoldas Kulbolka who as recently as the summer of 2015 was still playing for Zalgiris Kaunas youth program. This season is his first campaign in Germany, therefore also his first in the NBBL, but he has been able to make quite an impact. The long wing player often plays as a stretch four on Brose Baskets youth side of Breitengüßbach.
Kulboka’s game is based on his ability to shoot, as most of the things he does are created due to the threat of his shooting ability. Equipped with a smooth shooting motion, he spaces the floor and runs to the three point line even on the break. Interestingly over half of all of his shots come from the three point line from where he converts on a strong 42% of his shots. Good at spotting up, as well having the ability to create his own shot fairly easily, 68% of his field goal attempts have been jump shots up to this point in the NBBL season.
Due to his capability from long range he knows how to move without the ball in order to get open shots. Surprisingly he fares adequately with the ball in his hands, although he doesn’t seem as though he is used to having the ball in his hands as often as he does now. Showing promise in terms of his ballhandling ability, he further has to improve in that aspect of his game, as it may allow him to get to the basket more frequently. Being he is a good finisher at the rim with a shooting percentage 58.6% when finishing around the rim, getting to the basket would allow him to be more efficient as a player overall.
Defensively he has shown weaknesses as a one-on-one defender. While he is decent laterally, he does not always show the will to stop his opponent and can therefore get exploited by quick and crafty players. Also, has a weak side defender he seems somewhat reluctant to get in position early to allow him to make a play as a help defender. However, he does play the passing games with the use of his length, often disrupting the entry pass to the other team’s offense.
In the boards Kulboka relies on his length quite much, as throughout the first part of the NBBL season he has not shown a habit of boxing out his opponents and has not fared very aggressively when attempting to coral rebounds. Therefore given his size he is not a great rebounder, also due to the fact he is usually around the perimeter more so than he is around the basket.
Kulboka is quite interesting as a player who can stretch the floor. However it will be interesting to see how he fares as a perimeter defender in the future, otherwise he may have to the four position for good, something he does in the NBBL quite often, although he is projected as a wing player. Kulboka flashes great potential and should make strides in his play with the ball in his hands. Averaging 21.7 points per game, he is quite the offensive force with a lethal weapon in his jump shot, which should allow him to carve out a role on any team.
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Roberts Blumbergs 6’8 187 (’98, SF, Artland Dragons)
Another interesting prospect in the NBBL is a Latvian prospect who came to Germany two years ago: Roberts Blumbergs. Although playing fewer minutes than in his first NBBL season, he was able to improve his statistical output significantly. At 6’8 the lanky Blumbergs has good size for even a four man, paired with good mobility and a quick first step.
The first noticeable characteristic Blumbergs displays on the court is he always assumes an almost cat-like attacking position when he’s off the ball. Out of this position he is always ready to make a play on the ball on both the offensive and defensive ends. Displaying good court awareness and a keen understanding of movement without the ball, Blumbergs often finds himself in position score. Therefore, offensively his work around the basket usually consists of converting dump offs, as he springs into action from the short corner. Similarly he finds seems to attack from on the perimeter and also quickly moves to spots for open catch and shoot situations.
Though, Blumbergs shooting motion looks smooth, he is a very inconsistent shooter. There are great discrepancies between his last year’s shooting percentage of 30 and this year’s percentage of 16.7. Interestingly he shoots a very respectable 42.1% in the ProB this season. Displaying good mechanics, it seems his inconsistencies arise from due to mental aspects. For instance, Blumbergs shoots an above average 76% from the free throw line, however he often shows bad body language after misses, as he tends to hang his head and beat himself up afterwards.
Though finishing with his right hand exclusively, Blumbergs finishes at a high rate and has shown the ability to do so above the rim. Nearly all of his scoring opportunities come from playing with his face to the basket, as he currently plays the power forward position more often than not. He is more of a perimeter player than a post player, though. However, although he sets rather soft screens, he rolls to the basket hard and attempts to hit the help defender hard in order to carve out space near the basket. Another way he has been able to create scoring opportunities has been running the floor, as he is great at filling the lanes quickly and often beats the defense down the floor.
Blumbergs has exhibited the ability to defend on the perimeter, as his lateral quickness allows him to move his feet very well on the defensive end. While he always assumes an attacking position on the defensive end and is ready to help quickly as a weakside defender, he often allows his opponent gain position by moving inside of him because he is focused on the ball. Similar situations occur on the defensive glass, as he relies on his athleticism to rebound and forgets the box out a lot of times. At 4.9 defensive rebounds per game, he still reels the basketball in at a respectable rate though mainly due to great anticipation as to where the ball will land. On the offensive board he attacks the glass extremely hard though, averaging an amazing 3.1 rebounds per game in the NBBL.
What is most perplexing about Blumbergs are his shooting woes because he displays very good form. While at this point Blumbergs is not a great ballhandler, either he still manages to be quite an effective player from the perimeter from both forward positions, as he knows how to move without the ball and find himself in positions to score. Very complementary to the ball dominant Isaiah Hartenstein, Blumbergs constantly finds ways to bring value to his team off the ball. For Blumbergs it will be interesting to see how he will adjust after Hartenstein’s departure to Kaunas. Will he be able to take over the reigns or will his game suffer? Though a very intriguing prospect, as a perimeter player his shooting and ballhandling are his biggest question marks at this point of his development.
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Louis Olinde 6’8 183 ('98, SF, Piraten Hamburg)
Very much a late bloomer, Louis Olinde is still a very skinny player at this point of his development and has just recently shown signs of growing into his body. He displays good end to end speed and a major improvement in his quickness both on the offensive and defensive end. One apparent aspect in terms of his physical development is, though he has gained 18 lbs since the beginning of last season he does not display a hefty boost in strength. However, he is in more control of his body than he has been in the past, which noticeably offsets his lack of strength on this level of play. Also, Olinde looks as though he may not be done growing just yet, while his shoulders suggest he should be able to fill out a rather strong build.
Making sizable strides in numerous statistical categories, Olinde’s game is predicated on his ability to get to the rim or to the free throw line (9.75 free throw attempts per game). His easiest baskets come in transition, as he continuously runs the floor throughout the game, even if there may be no apparent opportunity to scoring in a given possession. Often he uses short bursts of speed to breeze past his defenders. He seems to do this equally well when running the lanes as he does going coast to coast upon pushing the ball on the break after a rebound.
Olinde has shown some notably and promising flashes in terms of his ballhandling, however is more effective moving without the ball at this juncture. Due his struggles driving early on in his development, he fostered his game off the ball, usually making the correct reads to put himself in a position to score. In addition Olinde’s improvement in his body control made his mobility and shiftiness more acute. Hence, it has become much rarer that he struggles on drives against physically stronger players, although physicality can still bother him at times.
Olinde is a very willing passer (he averages three assists per game) who has no problems giving the ball up, which is probably due to his ability to put himself in scoring position without the ball in his hands. Often making the extra passing, finding cutters, he is adept at allowing plays to unfold, instead of forcing the action. However, when he does penetrate, he usually does so to finish for himself, and only sometimes attacks to create for others.
He has always shown a knack for putting the ball in basket when closes to the rim, as he finishes at a 64 percent conversion rate often using push shots around the basket. Interesting to note is he seems to use his right hand exclusively. While he is adept at finishing, his jump shot is still a major work in progress. Though Olinde’s shooting motion looks smoother than it has a year ago, it still looks rather stiff, while his wind up is very slow and inconsistent. At this point he is not a viable threat from the mid range area (1/6) or the three point line (2/10).
Though he has the potential to be very disruptive on the defensive end, he is average on that side of the floor as of now. Olinde possesses good lateral quickness, but is not a very aggressive defender as of now. He usually uses his length to contain opponents, often sagging off and contesting late. Because he is very ball oriented, Olinde has the tendency to park near the paint and forget about his own opponent due to his eagerness to help on from the weakside. However he has gone unpunished thus far, as his team has not played teams with the ability to exploit those habits as of yet. Additionally, he seems to sustain physicality worse on the defensive end than on the offensive end, as he seems to struggle containing stronger players muscling through to get to the rim.
Where he seemed to have never struggled with physicality across the board is on the glass both on the offensive and defensive end. Showing a great understanding for positioning, Olinde is a very good rebounder averaging 11.5 rebounds per game. Attacking the glass hard on the offensive end, he is able to create second shot opportunities with his 3.0 offensive boards per game. While he shows promise in a few different aspects of the game, his rebounding ability may be his best attribute.
Olinde’s father Wilbert won the 1975 NCAA champion with UCLA under the tutelage of John Wooden and is regarded a basketball legend in Germany, as he won three German championships with SSC Göttingen.
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Oscar da Silva 6'8 198 ('98, SF, IBAM)
While he was still quite the unknown even around German basketball circles, as he was buried inside of a very deep year of players born 1998, Oscar da Silva made sure his production, as well as his team’s performances and simultaneously his leadership, will not go unnoticed this season. Displaying flashes of his talent in a 15 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists outburst in a 2015 NBBL playoffs matchup against the eventual national runner-up, da Silva has opened eyes of numerous spectators and evaluators early on this season. Though logging almost identical minutes per game compared to last season, da Silva has been able to improve in all but one statistical category.
Da Silva displays very good size for the small forward position, though he plays both forward as of now. He possesses decent length and strength, which aids him in holding position and finishing around the basket. Due to da Silva's strong legs and good core strength it is tough to push him off his tracks or out of position upon posts up on the blocks. Still not completely finished in his upper body development completely, he should be able to fill out well, as he has wide shoulders and a great overall build. Da Silva possesses decent athleticism, paired with a quickness that allows him to get to the rim with ease quite often.
Da Silva has made huge progress in his development as a player. Though he was already very effective from the around the basket (73%) and showed promise in terms of his shooting, he did not have the ability to take over a game offensively often deferring to older players. Still displaying traits that made him effective in his debut season in the NBBL, da Silva is adept at moving without the ball, instinctively finding seems to open himself up around the basket. Knowing to score off of cuts, as well as in catch and shoot situations, he is always a threat. However, he recently has shown the ability to operate with the ball in his hands with high efficiency, too.
Having a keen understanding of mismatches, he is quick to recognize and reacts accordingly. When attacking from the block da Silva effectively uses a spin, and often overpowers smaller defenders, while using his quickness against bigger guys, driving by big men with quite easy. He is a creative player, who at this point does not possess the ball handling ability to completely unfold, but nonetheless has displayed improvements in his ability to break down defenders. Da Silva knows to use his strengths well, adjusting to who is defending him in different junctures of the game.
Though da Silva is still more of a slasher and post up player, but he has shown immense improvements in his shot. Displaying good mechanics da Silva has morphed into a credible jump shooter. Often operating out of the pick and pop he displays a smooth shooting motion, allowing him to be an effective inside-out player from the small forward position. At 36 % his three point shooting numbers are very respectable, but shooting 58% from the midrange area shows he has the potential to become an above average shooter from anywhere on the floor. Additionally da Silva added a pull up jumper to his skill set, a skill he did not display at this rate a year ago.
Averaging 8.3 rebounds per game in 27 minutes da Silva corrals rebounds at a very decent rate. He displays good technique on the defensive board, while also using his length well to grab balls off the board, although not stout, he is able to hold his own against bigger players to secure rebounds. Da Silva also attacks the offensive board aggressively, averaging a good amount of offensive rebounds at 2.2 per game. In addition da Silva is a decent one on one defender on the perimeter. Equipped with decent lateral quickness and good usage of his length, he has no problems defending smaller, quicker players on the wing. Interestingly, his defensive positioning on post ups isn’t as staunch as it is on the offensive end, and he can get bumped out of position by stronger players. Where he tends to put himself out of position though, is when he gambles on the ball showing he needs to stay disciplined and end a defensive position the right way. Though da Silva is a good help defender, he can lose his man on back door cuts as he is fixated on the ball as the weak side defender.
Potential wise da Silva is very interesting because equipped with such versatility, both offensively and defensively, he is able to help teams in an array of ways from both forward positions. While da Silva is not an elite level athlete, his feel for the game should allow him to fit in any system. He understands spacing, as well as finds openings in the defense for off the ball scoring opportunities.
If da Silva is able to make further strides in his development with the ball in his hands, as he did over the summer he can be quite the force.
STATS
This is a three chapter series outlining the players who are more or less known on the European basketball landscape in part one, while part two will introduce players who have flown under the radar for some reason or another. Part three will outline the next generation of players who are just now bursting on the German basketball scene.
Chapter Two: The Second Wave
Moritz Sanders 6'10 229 ('98, PF, TSV Tröster Breitengüßbach)
Though known in scouting circles, Moritz Sanders -at the pic- has largely been flying under the radar due to the big three of the 1998 generation. However, standing at a legit 6’10 with decent mobility and equipped with a smooth shooting stroke, he is not shy of talent either. While Sanders is not overly long or athletic, he offsets this with his knowledge of good footwork and positioning and with good use of his body. Sanders projects at the stretch four position, displaying a lethal outside game for a player his size.
Usually Sanders plays with his face to the basket, as his back-to-the-basket game is not yet as refined as his face-up game. While he regularly abuses smaller defenders on the block with sheer power, he still needs to progress with his skill set in terms of post moves in order to become more effective around the basket when operating against taller opponents. In addition he seems to almost exclusively finishing with his right hand.
Equipped with a smooth shooting stroke and good mechanics, Sanders knows how to navigate from the perimeter quite well. Though he hasn’t shot a high volume of three point shots in the NBBL he converted at a high rate (52.9%). Interestingly, he struggled shooting from the perimeter at the ANGT in L’Hospitalet and in the German ProA, which shows that against quicker defenders on higher levels of play he allows defenders to bother him and speed him up when shooting jump shots. Given Sanders has a high release, he should not be bothered, as he should be able to get his shot off with ease especially on close out situations.
Often creating for himself out of pick & pop and close out situations, he forces defenses to take him seriously upon receiving the ball on the perimeter due to his shooting ability. Having a good understanding of ball fakes paired with good mobility, allows Sanders to get by his opponent quite often, frequently opting for the pull up jump shot from the midrange area. Sanders is also a very good free throw shooter converting on 84.2% of his free throw attempts.
Early on during the NBBL season Sanders has shown he also possess good floor vision, as he averages 2.8 assists per game with a season high of seven assists. He is a very willing passer, who scans the court before attacking in the post and is ready to give the ball up if a teammate is in better position to score.
Defensively Sanders does most of his work early in efforts to gain favorable position on the offensive player and deny the entry pass into the post. Sanders is not a rim protector who will block or change a lot of shots, but he plays very heady player and knows to anticipate actions. Despite the lack of rim protection he is a good help defender, as he moves to the right spots. Similarly he moves feet in anticipation of the play in one-on-one situations, displaying decent lateral quickness and the ability to stay in front of his opponents. Also Sanders rebounds well carving out space around the basket before grabbing the rebound off of the boards. He uses his body well in order to get good position on his counterpart.
Sanders has produced good numbers in limited minutes due to the fact that Breitengüßbach (the youth team of Bamberg) has been winning their games by large margins, displaying that his efficiency would have garnered a lot more if he were not stuck in this loaded 1998 generation. Sanders is without a doubt one of the premier German talents.
STATS
Lars Lagerpusch 6'9 216 ('98, PF, Braunschweig)
Having produced at a high level, Lars Lagerpusch still manages to continuously progress in his game. Though he is not an overwhelming physical specimen, as he is neither an athlete, nor does he possess great length. Lagerpusch constantly produces due to a strong body, immensely good instincts and an above average knowledge of the game. While playing out of shape much of last season, he has been nothing short of dominant thus far producing gaudy numbers in the NBBL and performing well in limited minutes in the ProB.
Lagerpusch has shown quite the growth as a player, allowing him to make an impact in different aspects of the game. His shooting, for instance, has long been a construction site. However, Lagerpusch’s shooting has shown advancements. While certain parts of his shooting motion still need fine tuning, overall he has shown progress. His free throw shooting percentages have jumped from 55.3% last year to a respectable 77.1% at this point of the season. Though he does not shoot the ball quite that much, his opponents have been defending him more honest when he caught the ball facing the hoop.
This plays into his strengths, as Lagerpusch is quite adept at attacking closeouts with the use of fakes and strong straight line drives. In addition he uses his body to muscle his way to the basket very well, as he doesn’t relent almost willing his way to the rim. When getting to the paint he impresses as an effective finisher, displaying great touch around the rim. Not shy of contact Lagerpusch seems to have improved operating in the post as well. Though not really showcasing a go to move, he seems to be able to get to the spots he wants.
Interestingly Lagerpusch is able to impact the game the ball as much without the ball in the hands as he does with it. He knows when to pick his spots and let the flow of the game come to him, and when to be assertive and take over the game. While he is by far the best player of his homegrown team in Braunschweig in the NBBL, he is the young rookie on the Wolfenbüttel in the ProB. He seamlessly plays different roles on each team, showing great efficiency in both roles.
Knowing how to use his strength and positioning is critical for Lagerpusch as a post defender and a help defender because he will often give up length to his opponents. Knowing this, he does not seem to struggle against taller players, due to his understanding of positioning, as well as giving maximum on every play. His high baskeball IQ shows, as he understands where to be at what time, having great anticipation defensively. Lagerpusch is a good help defender, but can be to ball oriented at times, forgetting about his own man. On the defensive end, Lagerpusch is also a very good rebounder. He displays great boxing out techniques, and often just wants the ball more than his opponents, giving maximum effort in pursuit of the ball. His willingness to throw his body around in combination with great anticipation, allows him to average an amazing 13.0 rebounds per game in the NBBL.
Lagerpusch shows that he can make quite the progress in his development. Interestingly most of his growth is directly tied to his high basketball IQ, as he understands what he needs to develop and how he needs to approach given situations. Averaging 26.3 points per game in the NBBL Lagerpusch displays go-to scorer qualities. However, he needs continue to develop his jump shot to make it a weapon, as well as ballhandling in order to be able to create offense for himself and others. Though he doesn't possess length, he continuously negates that by an elite level basketball IQ, strength and physicality, as well as giving maximum effort on every possession.
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Arnoldas Kulboka 6'8 218 ('98, SF, TSV Tröster Breitengüßbach)
One of the more interesting prospects on the German basketball scene is Lithuanian Arnoldas Kulbolka who as recently as the summer of 2015 was still playing for Zalgiris Kaunas youth program. This season is his first campaign in Germany, therefore also his first in the NBBL, but he has been able to make quite an impact. The long wing player often plays as a stretch four on Brose Baskets youth side of Breitengüßbach.
Kulboka’s game is based on his ability to shoot, as most of the things he does are created due to the threat of his shooting ability. Equipped with a smooth shooting motion, he spaces the floor and runs to the three point line even on the break. Interestingly over half of all of his shots come from the three point line from where he converts on a strong 42% of his shots. Good at spotting up, as well having the ability to create his own shot fairly easily, 68% of his field goal attempts have been jump shots up to this point in the NBBL season.
Due to his capability from long range he knows how to move without the ball in order to get open shots. Surprisingly he fares adequately with the ball in his hands, although he doesn’t seem as though he is used to having the ball in his hands as often as he does now. Showing promise in terms of his ballhandling ability, he further has to improve in that aspect of his game, as it may allow him to get to the basket more frequently. Being he is a good finisher at the rim with a shooting percentage 58.6% when finishing around the rim, getting to the basket would allow him to be more efficient as a player overall.
Defensively he has shown weaknesses as a one-on-one defender. While he is decent laterally, he does not always show the will to stop his opponent and can therefore get exploited by quick and crafty players. Also, has a weak side defender he seems somewhat reluctant to get in position early to allow him to make a play as a help defender. However, he does play the passing games with the use of his length, often disrupting the entry pass to the other team’s offense.
In the boards Kulboka relies on his length quite much, as throughout the first part of the NBBL season he has not shown a habit of boxing out his opponents and has not fared very aggressively when attempting to coral rebounds. Therefore given his size he is not a great rebounder, also due to the fact he is usually around the perimeter more so than he is around the basket.
Kulboka is quite interesting as a player who can stretch the floor. However it will be interesting to see how he fares as a perimeter defender in the future, otherwise he may have to the four position for good, something he does in the NBBL quite often, although he is projected as a wing player. Kulboka flashes great potential and should make strides in his play with the ball in his hands. Averaging 21.7 points per game, he is quite the offensive force with a lethal weapon in his jump shot, which should allow him to carve out a role on any team.
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Roberts Blumbergs 6’8 187 (’98, SF, Artland Dragons)
Another interesting prospect in the NBBL is a Latvian prospect who came to Germany two years ago: Roberts Blumbergs. Although playing fewer minutes than in his first NBBL season, he was able to improve his statistical output significantly. At 6’8 the lanky Blumbergs has good size for even a four man, paired with good mobility and a quick first step.
The first noticeable characteristic Blumbergs displays on the court is he always assumes an almost cat-like attacking position when he’s off the ball. Out of this position he is always ready to make a play on the ball on both the offensive and defensive ends. Displaying good court awareness and a keen understanding of movement without the ball, Blumbergs often finds himself in position score. Therefore, offensively his work around the basket usually consists of converting dump offs, as he springs into action from the short corner. Similarly he finds seems to attack from on the perimeter and also quickly moves to spots for open catch and shoot situations.
Though, Blumbergs shooting motion looks smooth, he is a very inconsistent shooter. There are great discrepancies between his last year’s shooting percentage of 30 and this year’s percentage of 16.7. Interestingly he shoots a very respectable 42.1% in the ProB this season. Displaying good mechanics, it seems his inconsistencies arise from due to mental aspects. For instance, Blumbergs shoots an above average 76% from the free throw line, however he often shows bad body language after misses, as he tends to hang his head and beat himself up afterwards.
Though finishing with his right hand exclusively, Blumbergs finishes at a high rate and has shown the ability to do so above the rim. Nearly all of his scoring opportunities come from playing with his face to the basket, as he currently plays the power forward position more often than not. He is more of a perimeter player than a post player, though. However, although he sets rather soft screens, he rolls to the basket hard and attempts to hit the help defender hard in order to carve out space near the basket. Another way he has been able to create scoring opportunities has been running the floor, as he is great at filling the lanes quickly and often beats the defense down the floor.
Blumbergs has exhibited the ability to defend on the perimeter, as his lateral quickness allows him to move his feet very well on the defensive end. While he always assumes an attacking position on the defensive end and is ready to help quickly as a weakside defender, he often allows his opponent gain position by moving inside of him because he is focused on the ball. Similar situations occur on the defensive glass, as he relies on his athleticism to rebound and forgets the box out a lot of times. At 4.9 defensive rebounds per game, he still reels the basketball in at a respectable rate though mainly due to great anticipation as to where the ball will land. On the offensive board he attacks the glass extremely hard though, averaging an amazing 3.1 rebounds per game in the NBBL.
What is most perplexing about Blumbergs are his shooting woes because he displays very good form. While at this point Blumbergs is not a great ballhandler, either he still manages to be quite an effective player from the perimeter from both forward positions, as he knows how to move without the ball and find himself in positions to score. Very complementary to the ball dominant Isaiah Hartenstein, Blumbergs constantly finds ways to bring value to his team off the ball. For Blumbergs it will be interesting to see how he will adjust after Hartenstein’s departure to Kaunas. Will he be able to take over the reigns or will his game suffer? Though a very intriguing prospect, as a perimeter player his shooting and ballhandling are his biggest question marks at this point of his development.
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Louis Olinde 6’8 183 ('98, SF, Piraten Hamburg)
Very much a late bloomer, Louis Olinde is still a very skinny player at this point of his development and has just recently shown signs of growing into his body. He displays good end to end speed and a major improvement in his quickness both on the offensive and defensive end. One apparent aspect in terms of his physical development is, though he has gained 18 lbs since the beginning of last season he does not display a hefty boost in strength. However, he is in more control of his body than he has been in the past, which noticeably offsets his lack of strength on this level of play. Also, Olinde looks as though he may not be done growing just yet, while his shoulders suggest he should be able to fill out a rather strong build.
Making sizable strides in numerous statistical categories, Olinde’s game is predicated on his ability to get to the rim or to the free throw line (9.75 free throw attempts per game). His easiest baskets come in transition, as he continuously runs the floor throughout the game, even if there may be no apparent opportunity to scoring in a given possession. Often he uses short bursts of speed to breeze past his defenders. He seems to do this equally well when running the lanes as he does going coast to coast upon pushing the ball on the break after a rebound.
Olinde has shown some notably and promising flashes in terms of his ballhandling, however is more effective moving without the ball at this juncture. Due his struggles driving early on in his development, he fostered his game off the ball, usually making the correct reads to put himself in a position to score. In addition Olinde’s improvement in his body control made his mobility and shiftiness more acute. Hence, it has become much rarer that he struggles on drives against physically stronger players, although physicality can still bother him at times.
Olinde is a very willing passer (he averages three assists per game) who has no problems giving the ball up, which is probably due to his ability to put himself in scoring position without the ball in his hands. Often making the extra passing, finding cutters, he is adept at allowing plays to unfold, instead of forcing the action. However, when he does penetrate, he usually does so to finish for himself, and only sometimes attacks to create for others.
He has always shown a knack for putting the ball in basket when closes to the rim, as he finishes at a 64 percent conversion rate often using push shots around the basket. Interesting to note is he seems to use his right hand exclusively. While he is adept at finishing, his jump shot is still a major work in progress. Though Olinde’s shooting motion looks smoother than it has a year ago, it still looks rather stiff, while his wind up is very slow and inconsistent. At this point he is not a viable threat from the mid range area (1/6) or the three point line (2/10).
Though he has the potential to be very disruptive on the defensive end, he is average on that side of the floor as of now. Olinde possesses good lateral quickness, but is not a very aggressive defender as of now. He usually uses his length to contain opponents, often sagging off and contesting late. Because he is very ball oriented, Olinde has the tendency to park near the paint and forget about his own opponent due to his eagerness to help on from the weakside. However he has gone unpunished thus far, as his team has not played teams with the ability to exploit those habits as of yet. Additionally, he seems to sustain physicality worse on the defensive end than on the offensive end, as he seems to struggle containing stronger players muscling through to get to the rim.
Where he seemed to have never struggled with physicality across the board is on the glass both on the offensive and defensive end. Showing a great understanding for positioning, Olinde is a very good rebounder averaging 11.5 rebounds per game. Attacking the glass hard on the offensive end, he is able to create second shot opportunities with his 3.0 offensive boards per game. While he shows promise in a few different aspects of the game, his rebounding ability may be his best attribute.
Olinde’s father Wilbert won the 1975 NCAA champion with UCLA under the tutelage of John Wooden and is regarded a basketball legend in Germany, as he won three German championships with SSC Göttingen.
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Oscar da Silva 6'8 198 ('98, SF, IBAM)
While he was still quite the unknown even around German basketball circles, as he was buried inside of a very deep year of players born 1998, Oscar da Silva made sure his production, as well as his team’s performances and simultaneously his leadership, will not go unnoticed this season. Displaying flashes of his talent in a 15 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists outburst in a 2015 NBBL playoffs matchup against the eventual national runner-up, da Silva has opened eyes of numerous spectators and evaluators early on this season. Though logging almost identical minutes per game compared to last season, da Silva has been able to improve in all but one statistical category.
Da Silva displays very good size for the small forward position, though he plays both forward as of now. He possesses decent length and strength, which aids him in holding position and finishing around the basket. Due to da Silva's strong legs and good core strength it is tough to push him off his tracks or out of position upon posts up on the blocks. Still not completely finished in his upper body development completely, he should be able to fill out well, as he has wide shoulders and a great overall build. Da Silva possesses decent athleticism, paired with a quickness that allows him to get to the rim with ease quite often.
Da Silva has made huge progress in his development as a player. Though he was already very effective from the around the basket (73%) and showed promise in terms of his shooting, he did not have the ability to take over a game offensively often deferring to older players. Still displaying traits that made him effective in his debut season in the NBBL, da Silva is adept at moving without the ball, instinctively finding seems to open himself up around the basket. Knowing to score off of cuts, as well as in catch and shoot situations, he is always a threat. However, he recently has shown the ability to operate with the ball in his hands with high efficiency, too.
Having a keen understanding of mismatches, he is quick to recognize and reacts accordingly. When attacking from the block da Silva effectively uses a spin, and often overpowers smaller defenders, while using his quickness against bigger guys, driving by big men with quite easy. He is a creative player, who at this point does not possess the ball handling ability to completely unfold, but nonetheless has displayed improvements in his ability to break down defenders. Da Silva knows to use his strengths well, adjusting to who is defending him in different junctures of the game.
Though da Silva is still more of a slasher and post up player, but he has shown immense improvements in his shot. Displaying good mechanics da Silva has morphed into a credible jump shooter. Often operating out of the pick and pop he displays a smooth shooting motion, allowing him to be an effective inside-out player from the small forward position. At 36 % his three point shooting numbers are very respectable, but shooting 58% from the midrange area shows he has the potential to become an above average shooter from anywhere on the floor. Additionally da Silva added a pull up jumper to his skill set, a skill he did not display at this rate a year ago.
Averaging 8.3 rebounds per game in 27 minutes da Silva corrals rebounds at a very decent rate. He displays good technique on the defensive board, while also using his length well to grab balls off the board, although not stout, he is able to hold his own against bigger players to secure rebounds. Da Silva also attacks the offensive board aggressively, averaging a good amount of offensive rebounds at 2.2 per game. In addition da Silva is a decent one on one defender on the perimeter. Equipped with decent lateral quickness and good usage of his length, he has no problems defending smaller, quicker players on the wing. Interestingly, his defensive positioning on post ups isn’t as staunch as it is on the offensive end, and he can get bumped out of position by stronger players. Where he tends to put himself out of position though, is when he gambles on the ball showing he needs to stay disciplined and end a defensive position the right way. Though da Silva is a good help defender, he can lose his man on back door cuts as he is fixated on the ball as the weak side defender.
Potential wise da Silva is very interesting because equipped with such versatility, both offensively and defensively, he is able to help teams in an array of ways from both forward positions. While da Silva is not an elite level athlete, his feel for the game should allow him to fit in any system. He understands spacing, as well as finds openings in the defense for off the ball scoring opportunities.
If da Silva is able to make further strides in his development with the ball in his hands, as he did over the summer he can be quite the force.
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